Deskercise: Simple Ways to Stay Active at Your Desk
- Naturally Yours at White Stone
- Jan 10
- 6 min read
In our fast-paced world, many of us spend long hours sitting at a desk. While work is crucial, excessive sitting can lead to serious health issues, such as decreased circulation, poor posture, and even chronic pain. Luckily, you can make a positive change by adding movement to your daily routine. This article highlights the significance of staying active and offers straightforward exercises you can easily perform right at your desk.
The Importance of Movement
Movement is key to both physical and mental health. Research shows that regular physical activity can lower the risk of heart disease by up to 30%. It also strengthens muscles and improves mental clarity. When you move, your body releases endorphins, which can lower stress levels and lift your mood.
Sitting for extended periods tightens our muscles and slows blood flow, leading to discomfort or chronic pain over time. In fact, studies indicate that office workers who take regular movement breaks experience up to a 10% improvement in productivity. This means investing time in small exercises can not only make you feel better but also help you work more efficiently.
Simple Desk Exercises
You don’t need to dedicate hours to fitness; simple activities throughout your day can keep you active. Here are a few exercises you can try without leaving your desk.
1. Seated Leg Raises
How to do it:
Sit on the edge of your chair with your back straight.
Extend one leg straight out in front of you.
Hold for a few seconds, then lower it back down.
Alternate between legs.
This exercise can not only strengthen your core but also enhance blood circulation in your legs, helping to prevent stiffness.
2. Arm Circles
How to do it:
While sitting, extend your arms to your sides at shoulder height.
Slowly make small circles for 30 seconds in one direction and then switch.
Arm circles can alleviate shoulder tension and improve flexibility, making you feel more relaxed during the workday.
3. Desk Push-Ups
How to do it:
Position yourself a few feet from your desk.
Place your hands on the desk and lower your body, similar to a push-up.
Push back up to return to the starting position.
Do as many as you can.
To Level Up: If you have room, do regular push ups.
Desk push-ups effectively engage your upper body, helping to strengthen your arms and chest.
Calf Raises
How to do it:
Stand up from your desk.
Lift both heels off the ground, then lower and repeat.
Repeat 5 times.
To Level Up: Do calf jumps.
By contracting the calf muscles, you help pump blood back up the legs, which can be beneficial when sitting for extended periods. Regularly engaging your calves can help alleviate tiredness and heaviness in your legs and studies suggest that activating the soleus muscle through calf raises might promote glucose uptake and potentially aid in fat burning, even while sitting. Calf raises also help strengthen the ankle joint, enhancing stability.
Wall Push-ups
How to do it:
Lean on a wall or sturdy part of your desk, and push away until you complete a full push-up.
Wall push-ups primarily benefit by building upper body strength, particularly in the chest, shoulders, and triceps, while being a low-impact option ideal for beginners or those with limited mobility, as they put less strain on the wrists and shoulders compared to traditional push-ups; they also help improve core stability and can be a stepping stone to progress to harder push-up variations.
6. Side Lunges
How to do it:
Stand up from your desk.
Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel, and perform side lunges to strengthen and stabilize your lateral glute muscles.
To Level Up: One leg remains straight throughout the movement, while the other leg bends at the knee as you lower your body into the lunge position, essentially keeping the extended leg as a stabilizing anchor to the side; this variation emphasizes the glute and adductor muscles of the extended leg while still working the entire lower body.
The side-to-side movement of side lunges can help strengthen the ankles, target the lower body's largest muscle groups, improve posture and alignment, and improve hip mobility and flexibility.
Abdominal Crutches
How to do it:
Sit on the front of your chair with your legs together, knees bent at a 90-degree angle, feet flat on the ground, arms up and bent at the elbows with fingers interlaced behind your head.
Engage your core and lean back until your back grazes your chair back. Keep your back straight and your abs engaged.
Complete 15 reps.
8. Standing Leg Lifts
How to do it:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
Keep your shoulders relaxed and your arms by your sides or hold onto a sturdy surface (like a chair or wall) for balance if needed.
Tighten your abdominal muscles to maintain stability and prevent your torso from leaning backward.
Slowly raise one leg straight in front of you while keeping it extended. Aim to lift it to about hip height or as high as your flexibility allows without bending your knee.
Hold the lifted position for a second or two to engage the muscles fully.
Slowly lower your leg back to the starting position with control, avoiding any sudden drops.
Complete the desired number of repetitions on one side, then switch to the other leg.
Tips: a) Keep your back straight and avoid arching your lower back. b) Maintain a slight bend in the standing leg to reduce strain on the knee. c) Move in a slow, controlled manner to maximize muscle engagement.
A leg raise is a strength training exercise that targets the hip flexors and abdominal muscles. It can also serve as an isometric exercise to develop the abs. When you alternate arm and leg movements during the exercise, you engage your core and stability muscles for enhanced balance and control.
Stretching for Relief
In addition to exercises, stretching throughout the day is important for maintaining flexibility and relieving tension that builds up from extended sitting.
Neck Stretch
How to do it:
While seated, sit up straight and gently tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear toward your shoulder.
Hold for 15-30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
This simple stretch can significantly reduce neck stiffness and discomfort, particularly after long hours at the computer.
Wrist and Finger Stretch
How to do it:
Extend one arm in front of you with your palm facing up.
With your other hand, gently pull back on your fingers to stretch your wrist and forearm.
Hold for 15-30 seconds on each side.
This stretch is especially useful for counteracting the strain associated with typing and mouse use, helping to maintain dexterity in your hands.
Triceps Shoulder Stretch
How to do it:
1. Relax your shoulders. Hold the elbow of your affected arm with your other hand.
2. Use your hand to pull your affected arm gently up and across your body. ...
3. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds, then slowly lower your arm.
4. Repeat 2 to 4 times.
5. Repeat these steps for your other shoulder.
A triceps shoulder stretch can help improve shoulder mobility and reduce tension in the shoulders, back, and lats.
Fitting It into Your Day
Incorporating movement into a busy workday can feel challenging, but small changes can lead to significant benefits. Here are some practical tips to help you keep active.
Set a Timer
Setting a timer for hourly movement reminders can be effective. Every hour, take a quick five-minute movement break. Use this time to perform some desk exercises or take a short walk around your workspace.
Use Your Breaks Wisely
During breaks, instead of browsing your phone, dedicate those few minutes to stretching or light exercises. Even sessions as brief as two minutes can lead to better overall health.
Create a Movement Challenge
Involve your coworkers or friends by setting up fun movement challenges. This could be a step-counting competition or a goal to complete a certain number of desk exercises each week, fostering a supportive fitness culture in the workplace.
Final Thoughts
Integrating movement into your workday is crucial for maintaining both physical and mental well-being. By implementing simple exercises and stretches at your desk, you can mitigate the harmful effects of prolonged sitting, boost your productivity, and enhance your overall quality of life. It doesn't take much effort to make a big difference. So, why not start today? Your body and mind will appreciate it.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. {1 Corinthians 3:16, 17}
Which desk exercise from our list do you think you’re most likely to try?
0%Seated Leg Raises
0%Arm Circles
0%Desk Push Ups
0%Calf Raises
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